SAOGA WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT POMS?

SAOGA – POMS Responses From Seafox Exercise: Reviewing Aquavet Plan for POMS – current PIRSA Emergency Response Plan - draft Industry Response Plan – underway

SAOGA – POMS Responses Updated website Member login Membership fees etc payment online Stock tracking register - movement Reviewing Code of Practice Risk Assessment Framework for POMS workshop held growers and experts in June 2013 Discussion next session Industry Record Keeping Mortalities

POMS – What is SAOGA’s position? Research By its very nature is keenly focussed Design –isolate one area and eliminate all other variables Context - often highly complex. Maintain a balanced approach

Research in themes Environmental Kirsten Rough’s oceanography Clinton Wilkinson’s phytoplankton La Nina events 2011/12 and 1998 and 1988 Climate Change Ocean Acidification Accurate and up to date data temperature, ph, Chlorophyll Environmental Monitoring Systems - data loggers, telemetry, IT cloud based databases, androids and aps for data entering and data monitoring reports.

Research in themes Husbandry Richard Whittington’s work – University of NSW Emphasises two key areas for consideration: 1. Environmental triggers 2. Husbandry factors – influences on spat rearing in infected waters Influence of raising heights on adult oyster survival

Research in themes Breeding Program Development of resistant breeding stock – positive signs. ASI Wild POMS survivors More than POMS Ocean Acidification

What does this means for SA? Questions? Does SAMS – winter mortalities peculiar to SA in 1998, 2011/12 years mean: Environmental conditions in SA different to NSW/ Tassie Reduced wild populations Widespread use of adjustable lines - husbandry

In readiness for POMS Industry Emergency Response Plan Draft Industry/PIRSA Risk Assessment Plan Emerging Themes for Industry to develop a position on: Saleable live oysters should not leave the bay? Is that a viable position to adopt? If so….... How to handle emergency harvest in each bay, process and freeze on site? Alternatively…….. How to identify a processor off site but nearby and manage appropriate protocols which will limit the risk of transmission to other bays? E.g. licenced facilities, codes of practice, cleaning of transport vehicles and equipment etc. Action – each bay to meet discuss and report.

In readiness for poms Quarantine period Maintaining the capacity of industry to recover from an outbreak. Movement of spat into infected waters Issues – conflict Minimising the viral load in the waterways vs opportunity for growers to carry loss of mortalities of newly purchased stock, try to manage mortalities with husbandry, managing time of year for restocking consistent with lower water temp and size of stock e.g. ongrowns to condition prior to summer months and anticipated increased losses again.

Risk proofing the industry Where are our major risks? Tasmanian Outbreak – risk to spat supply Monoculture – pacific oysters What is SAOGA doing about this? Progress with angasi SA hatchery project – to compliment Tasmanian supplies not to replace in lieu of “mothballing of SA hatchery” Grant applications Partnership

Angasi SARDI – maintained hatchery capacity at SARDI and some supply of angasi to growers in the absence of commercial supplies. Aim is to increase supplies this year. PIRSA – endorsement of angasi on oyster growers’ licences Working to expedite this process for growers en masse to support growers to diversify – reduced red tape, reduced cost, reduced timeframe.

SA Oyster hatchery SAOGA/PIRSA/SARDI Exploration of state government regional development funds and processes to: Develop a business plan Feasibility study including site exploration Project brief Project plan

Grant Funding Opportunity Caring for our Country Approx $900,000 sought to enable industry to be supplied at no cost with angasi spat and capacity of SARDI hatchery facilities strengthened to supply angasi spat (not in commercial competition) to support industry with pacific spat supply in the event of an emergency e.g. POMS outbreak in Tasmania to provide collaborative support for a revitalised SA hatchery ongoing.

Industry responsibility BREEDING PROGRAM An Industry responsibility STOCK Identifying and Reporting Mortalities Stock Register Reporting stock movement ENVIRONMENT Collection? and monitoring of data SURVEILLANCE FOR POMS

How to progress? Breeding Program – investing as an industry – levy? IT systems Environmental Monitoring Data loggers in each bay IT database system – cloud based Investigating several options for industry which could be accessed through an android application and the functionality it could provide is as follows:

Stock Register/EMS IT Solution Stock Register On farm daily transfer and processing of stock – can update on the water, in the shed, in the office Recording mortalities on the lease, shed, in crates Recording translocation of stock on sending lease, and then at time of putting out at receiving lease Environmental Monitoring System Data loggers collect data in each bay Telemetry transfer to data collection point – SASQAP? Real time transfer of data to growers E.g temperature PH, chlorophyll, phytoplankton counts, surveillance data, alerts

Questions for Industry Industry feedback 1. An increase in levy paid through hatcheries to support Breeding Program 2. SAOGA working with PIRSA/SARDI to support 1. the consolidation of a SA hatchery 2. endorsing all licences for angasi with diminished red tape and cost to industry 3. SAOGA exploring development of IT solutions for stock register/EMS and would they subscribe 4. Research on virus (Tim Green) in SA